Wake Me Up
by ScorpioGirl1987
Summary: Sonny's world gets turned upside down when a detective from LA tells him a coma patient said his name in his sleep. Everyone's in for a shock when the coma patient turns out to be someone who's connected to a lot of people in Salem...someone who's supposed to be dead. WILSON! Some Paulson in the beginning.
1. Chapter 1

**Oh, no, not _another_ Will ressurection fanfic! Eh, well, it's been almost a year since I've posted a new one anyway. lol This takes place in May 2017, in light of the rumors that an Emmy Nominee is to return to Days (a lot of people think/hope it's Chandler Massey, but I won't hold my breath). And I figure Will returning from the dead would be sweeps-worthy.**

 **I do not own Days of Our Lives (or this fanfic would be a reality). It belongs to NBC.**

 ** _"Wake me up when it's all over_**

 ** _When I'm wiser and I'm older_**

 ** _All this time I was finding myself and I_**

 ** _I didn't know I was lost"_**

 ** _-Avlici_**

 _March 26, 2016_

 _Mulholland Drive, Los Angeles, CA_

 _Curtis Dunn drove along the winding, scenic highway. He had just broken up with his boyfriend, who had been having an affair for a year. He was crying, and he just needed to clear his head. How could he have been so blind? He looked around and caught sight of an overturned car._

 _"What the hell?" He pulled over behind the car and got out to look around. He didn't see anyone inside the car. The passenger door was open and Curtis went into the woods to investigate. A few feet from the car, he saw a young man in his early 20s about 6' tall and average build. Dark blond hair framed his heart-shaped face. "Oh my God!" Curtis rushed to the man and checked for a pulse. "Still alive." He pulled out his cell phone to call an ambulence. "I'd like to report an accident. ... A car was turned over near mile-marker 25 on Mullholland, about five miles northwest of Los Angeles. ... Yes, he's still alive, he's breathing, but he's unconscious."_

 _The man had no wedding ring and no wallet or ID on him. Forensics searched the car, but it was clean. The car had been registered to someone who had died a day before the man was found in a tragic train crash. The police investigated the mystery man, but came up empty. The mystery man landed in a coma, and since then, no one's come looking for him._

 _April 27, 2017_

 _St. Josephine Memorial Hospital_

 _Los Angeles, CA_

"Hey, Curt, how's that coma patient you've fallen in love with?" A nurse's aide asked, teasingly, as she passed.

Curtis rolled his eyes. "Doing good." He headed into John Doe's room. This particular John Doe was the same man Curtis found at the side of the road. He took an interest in the man in a coma. At the end of his shift, he would always check in on the John Doe to see if he's woken up. He talks to him and reads to him, and watches movies and TV in hopes that something would trigger him to wake up. So far, nothing seems to be working. "How is he, Doc?"

Dr. Leah Hart sighed and turned to her nurse. "He's fading."

"What? How?" Curt asked, slightly panicky.

"He's losing weight, his heartbeat's slowing down..." Dr. Hart shook her head and sighed. "I'm no psychologist, but, I would say that he's losing his will to live. When you brought him here, he fought hard to stay alive. But...no one came to visit except for you...he's given up hope."

Curtis huffed. "This can't be the end."

Leah squeezed his arm comfortingly. "I'm sorry. I know how attached you've become to this man, but...you can't save everyone. I learned that the hard way."

Curtis waited until the doctor left and sighed. Under any normal circumstances, he would have just let it go. But, this was different. He couldn't quite place it, but something about this guy made him want to wake him up and reunite him with his family...that is, if he has any. "I'm not giving up on you. When I found you...you were apparently driving somewhere. Wherever you came from, someone must be missing you. They just don't know where you are. And on that depressing note. let's see what's on TV, shall we?" He turned on the TV. The end of a movie was playing. "Oh. _Homecoming_. You know, even though this movie is a little over 20 years old, I consider this a classic." The end credits started playing.

"S-sonny..." Curtis turned around at the sound. Did the man just talk? Curtis leaned in. "Sonny...I'm sorry...I shouldn't have left...Salem..."

Curtis exhaled slowly. "Oh my God." He called Leah back, who came quickly.

"What did he say?" Leah asked.

"Something like 'Sonny, I'm sorry I left Salem.'" Curtis replied. "I turned on the TV...the movie Homecoming was playing. Maybe that triggered something."

"Probably." Leah replied. "This is good news. Now we have a clue as to who he is."

"Yeah." Curtis sighed, smiling. "I am going to call my sister. Maybe she can do some digging."

"All right. Good luck."

XX

Detective Ashley Dunn of the Los Angeles Police Department sat at her desk and deleted the folder from the case she just wrapped up. She smiled in satisfaction and checked to see if there was another case. There wasn't. Her phone rang.

"Hey, baby brother." Ashley greeted, cheerfully.

"Hi, Ash. Hey, um, are you working on a case right now?" Curtis asked.

"Nope. Actually, I just wrapped up a case." Ashley replied. "What can I do for you?"

"Remember that coma patient I've been taking care of?"

"Yeah."

"He spoke." Curtis announced.

"Wait, what? You mean he woke up?" Ashley asked, astonished.

"No, he spoke like in his sleep." Curtis replied. "And he gave a little hint as to who he is."

"What'd he say?"

"'Sonny, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left Salem.'" Curtis replied. "I turned on the TV...the Ann Bancroft movie _Homecoming_ was playing. The credits started rolling, and that's when he spoke."

"Well, that narrows it down." Ashley cleared her throat. "I'll cross-reference the name Sonny with all of the Salem cities' databases. There's quite a few towns named Salem, so this may take a while. Hmm. Was he wearing a wedding ring when you found him?"

"No. He had no ring, no wallet, no ID." Curtis shook his head.

"Well, this is gonna be quite the mystery." Ashley said. "I wonder...when your coma patient left Salem, he obviously left someone behind: this Sonny person. You found him last year. Why didn't Sonny ever come looking for him?"

"Maybe Sonny died?" Curtis guessed. "Or he- or she- is so mad at the guy that they don't care."

"Only one way to find out." Ashley replied. "I'll keep you posted."

"Thanks!"

XX

Ashley went right to work. There are 45 cities called Salem, but most of them were in the US. She assumed "Sonny" was a woman, so she searched for women named Sunny. There were a few, but they were either lesbians or they were happily married for years before the coma patient was admitted. Then she searched for men named Sonny. Some were either too young or too old to be referred to by the coma patient, but one name came up in the town of Salem, Illinois. Sonny Kiriakis. She called her brother.

"So he is gay. I was right!" Curtis exclaimed.

"Don't get your hopes up, baby brother. Sonny could be the guy's boyfriend." Ashley pointed out.

Curtis sighed. "I know. Have you contacted him, yet?"

"No. I figured this would be better to do in person, so I'm getting on the next flight." Ashley replied.

"Okay. Good luck." Curtis replied. "And thank you for doing this. I appreciate it."

"Of course. I love a good mystery." Ashley grinned. "Later, bro."

XXX

"...Of course, Ms. Fox, I dug through every nook and cranny of the guy's past. He's clean. ... Well, no, his family isn't, but that doesn't mean he isn't either. ... Okay, you're welcome. Bye." Paul hung up.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you." Paul looked up to see a blonde woman in her early thirties approaching him. "But are you Paul Narita?"

Paul smiled. "Yes, I am."

"Oh, well, hi. It's such an honor to meet you." Ashley extended her hand. "Detective Ashley Dunn from the LAPD."

"Nice to meet you." Paul shook her hand. Ashley sat down. "So, what's a detective from clear across the country doing in Small Town, USA?"

"Trying to solve a mystery." Ashley replied. "I'm guessing you're a Private Investigator, now?"

"Yes, how did you- oh, you heard me talking on the phone." Paul replied.

"Sorry." Ashley said sincerely.

"Ah, it's okay." Paul waved it off.

"Actually, I was hoping you can help me solve this mystery." Ashley said.

Paul nodded. "Well, I'll do my best."

"So, my brother is a nurse at St. Josephine Hospital in LA." Ashley began. "Last year, he stumbled upon a car accident. The driver was found unconscious with no wallet, no ID, and no wedding ring. He's been in a coma ever since."

"Yikes."

"Yeah. And here's where it gets interesting: the coma patient spoke in his sleep- he hasn't woken up yet." Ashley went on. "He said something like 'Sonny, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left Salem'." Paul grew puzzled. She couldn't mean... "So, I crossed-referenced the name Sonny with every town called Salem, and came upon the name Sonny Kiriakis. Do you know him?"

It took a minute for Paul to get over his shock. "Uh, yeah. He's my boyfriend."

"Oh...great! Maybe you know the coma patient as well." Ashley said hopefully.

"Uh...what does he look like?" Paul asked. This was getting more mysterious by the minute.

"I actually have a picture of him. Hold on." Ashley pulled out her phone and found the patient's picture and showed it to Paul. Paul's eyes widened in shock. "Paul? Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost. Do you recognize this guy?"

"Yeah..." Paul said. "That's my boyfriend's husband. He died a year and a half ago."

 **Oooh! Intrigue! Will Paul tell Sonny? Read to find out!**


	2. Chapter 2

**So, I'm changing a few things here. I thought the mystery person returning in May (well..April) was Will. But, we got new writers, so hopefully they'll bring back Will maybe not for November sweeps or February sweeps, but hopefully May sweeps. So, this takes place in 2018, and Will had been in a coma for two years instead of one.**

Curtis sat at the coma patient's bedside. He kept close watch in case he says anything else or wakes up. His phone rang. "Hey, did you solve the mystery, yet?"

"For the most part." Ashley replied. "His name is Will Horton, 24 years old, and- sorry to disappoint you- married with one daughter."

Curtis' face fell. "Oh."

"I'm on my way to meet with his father, grandmother, and husband right now." She continued. "Apparently, everyone thought Will was dead. Someone must have impersonated him. That's why no one was looking for him."

"Wow." Curtis breathed. "That must be quite a story."

"Yeah." Ashley agreed. "Well, listen, I'm at the meeting place, so I will call you back soon."

"Okay. Thanks." Curtis hung up and sighed. "Well...sounds like you've been through a lot. It's nice to meet you, Will. Guess what? My sister got in touch with your dad, grandmother, and husband. They should be visiting soon. Your daughter might come, too." Will grabbed Curtis' hand, which made the latter chuckle softly. "I really wish I solved the mystery sooner. I'm sorry."

XXX

Sonny walked down the hall to Marlena and John's townhouse. For some reason, Paul wanted him to come to his townhouse. He sounded serious. John let him in. He was surprised to also see Lucas and some strange woman there.

"Good. We're all here." Lucas said.

"Hi, guys." Sonny greeted. He walked over to Paul to kiss him on the lips, but Paul turned away at the last second, leaving Sonny confused and a little put off.

"You'll understand in a minute." Paul replied.

Everyone turned to the detective. "Hi, everyone. For those who don't know, I'm Detective Ashley Dunn with the Los Angeles Police Department. Um, last year, my brother- who's a nurse- found someone at the side of a road. He had been in a car accident, which left him in a coma. Until recently, we were unable to identify the man."

"Okay, so what does it have to do with us?" Lucas asked.

"It's someone all of you know." Ashley replied. "Someone whom you all believe to have died a year and a half ago."

"Well, the only person I can think of is...is Will." Marlena said.

Lucas shook his head. "It can't be. I saw his body at the morgue. His mother was with me. She kissed him. If he was alive, she would have said something."

"The only explanation I can think of is that he was impersonated." Ashley shrugged.

Sonny shook his head in disbelief. "I'm sorry, but, what kind of sick game are you playing?"

"Sonny..." Paul said.

"No. I'm sorry, but do you really expect us to believe that...that my husband is alive?" Sonny asked. "They way he died, it's...impossible to come back from. Unbelievable. You're working for Deimos, aren't you?"

"Sonny, she checks out." Paul said calmly. "She really does work for the LAPD."

Ashley pulled up Will's photo on her phone and showed it to Sonny. Sonny blinked in surprise. If it really is Will...then... He shook his head. "No. I'm sorry, but unless you have rock solid evidence, I'm leaving." He turned to the door.

"His nurse turned on the TV in his hospital room. Homecoming was playing." Ashley said. Sonny stopped, but didn't turn around. "The ending song 'Water is Wide' triggered something in him. He said 'Sonny...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left Salem.' I cross-referenced the name Sonny with all of the city databases from every town called Salem. You're the only one who stood out."

That hit Sonny. Could his husband really be alive, but in a coma? He swallowed thickly and blinked away unshed tears.

"I'm having his grave exhumed." The detective said. "We're gonna match the DNA of the man who was buried a year and a half ago with your daughter's DNA. We should be getting the results soon."

Sonny turned around and leaned against the door. He jumped slightly when someone knocked. He opened it to Rafe standing in the doorway.

"Sonny." Rafe greeted. He walked in and addressed Ashley. "You must be Det. Dunn. I'm Det. Hernandez. We spoke over the phone."

"Yeah. Hi."

Rafe cleared his throat. "So, I ran Ari's DNA with the Will we buried in October, 2015 twice. They weren't a match. Which means the man who Ben murdered wasn't Will."

Sonny sank down in a chair in complete shock. That means...but, wait, when exactly was Will kidnapped? He cleared his throat. "What, um, what hospital is he at? I can call the Titan Jet and have it ready in an hour."

"I'll text Sami and the kids and Belle- oh hell, I'll text everyone!" Marlena laughed.

"All right, the jet only seats eight people, so all of us can go plus two more." Sonny said.

"Well, Ari, definitely." Lucas said. "I texted my mom. She's on her way over here."

"Great!"

XX

"So let me get this straight. Will isn't really dead? He's in California in a coma?" Kate asked.

"Yep." Rafe nodded. "The guy Ben killed was a very convincing double."

Kate scoffed and shook her head. "That freaking...! He lied right to my face! Un-freaking-believable!"

"Who, Andre?" Sonny asked.

"Yes, Andre! God..." Kate sighed. "Well, good thing we didn't avenge Will's death, huh?"

Lucas just stared at her. "Yeah. But Sami tried to kill Chad because she thought he killed Will...who wasn't even Will in the first place."

"Don't really care about that, but okay." Kate replied.

"Course you don't..." Lucas muttered.

Marlena's phone rang. "Oh. I got Sami on FaceTime." She answered the call. "Hi, Sami."

Sami swallowed. "You better not be lying about this."

"Sami, I wouldn't lie about this." Marlena insisted.

Lucas turned the phone towards him. "Yeah, Sami. Her name is Marlena Evans, not Laura Horton!"

Sami scoffed. "Do you have proof? That Will's...?"

"Yeah. Rafe had Will's grave exhumed, and we matched the body's DNA with Ari's. They weren't a match." Lucas replied. "Also, the detective whose brother found Will has a picture of Will on her cell phone. He's in a hospital in a coma." Lucas showed her the picture.

Sami suppressed sobs. "How-how's this possible?"

"We think that the DiMeras planted an imposter. It's the only explanation." Lucas sighed. "I can't believe I couldn't tell the difference..."

"Hey, I didn't either." Sami shook her head. "I'm taking the first flight out. Keep me posted."

"You got it." Lucas said. He stood up. "All right, I'm gonna go home and pack. I'll meet you guys at the airport."

Everyone except for Paul and Sonny left. Paul leaned against the fireplace with his hands in his pockets. Sonny walked towards him. "You know...a lot of other guys wouldn't be so quick to tell their boyfriend that their husband is alive."

"Yeah, well...you would have found out, anyway." Paul said. "And...let's be honest: even Will was really dead, you never would have gotten over him. I would always compete with a ghost. This is for the best. Go. Go reunite with your husband. At least...at least I got to spend a few months with you. I'll be okay."

Sonny smiled, touched at Paul's gesture. He kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

Paul nodded and watched Sonny leave. He sighed and blinked away tears and sank slowly to the floor. Marlena walked up to him and sat down. "You okay?"

"I don't know." Paul admitted. "Don't get me wrong: I am beyond happy for you, Sonny, and everyone else who knows Will that Will is alive. I just...I really thought Sonny and I would be together. I guess we really aren't meant to be. It's gonna be hard to let go."

"It's a long road, but you'll get there." Marlena said. "And one day you are gonna meet someone better."

Paul laughed softly and smiled. "Thanks."

XXX

Everyone got on the plane. Sonny was in full planning mode.

"We have a child psychologist on standby in case Ari needs it." Sonny said. "Oh, and Kate," He turned to Kate. "I already called my company's physical therapist, he's on standby as well." Kate opened her mouth to say something, but Sonny interrupted. "I already had Paul run an extensive background check on him, he checks out. He's not a criminal, nor is he related to any."

Kate scoffed. "Sounds like you have everything under control."

"I do, indeed." Sonny nodded. "I'll also pay for his hospital expenses and homecare."

"What the hell are we supposed to do, then?" Lucas demanded, a little irritated at Sonny for controlling the whole thing.

"Help Will wake up." Sonny replied. "And when he does, help fill in the blanks about what happened during the last three-and-a-half years."

"Feeling guilty." Lucas guessed.

"Excuse me?"

"You're feeling guilty about not noticing Will was replaced with an imposter, then you moved on with Paul, then you find out he's alive." Lucas explained.

"Exactly. I'm trying to make up for it." Sonny said.

Lucas scoffed and shook his head. "Fine. Good luck justifying yourself to Will."

Sonny sighed and sat back in his seat. He went over the last two years in his mind. He went on his revenge kick against Deimos so fiercely because...he never got revenge for Will's murder. Now it all seems so pointless since Will never died in the first place.

Marlena noticed and leaned over. "Are you okay?"

"Just thinking...when Will gets better...he's gonna want everything to be back to the way things were before he left LA." Sonny replied.

"Yeah, probably."

"But the thing is...so much has changed since then." Sonny said. "I've changed."

"Well, then two strangers will learn to fall in love again." Marlena smirked at her little joke. "He'll get the joy of rediscovering you."

Sonny smiled and chuckled. "I hope so."

XX

A couple rows back, Ashley and Rafe sat next to each other. Rafe cleared his throat.

"So, I never asked. How did you find Will?" Rafe asked.

"My brother actually found him. He was taking a drive and he happened upon a car accident. Will was laying about three feet away from the car." Ashley replied. "Curtis- my brother- is a certified nurse. He took Will to the hospital where he's been in a coma ever since."

"Wow." Rafe sighed. "You know, this is the fourth time the DiMeras kidnapped someone in the Brady family and replaced them with an imposter."

"Really?" Ashley asked.

"Yeah. My ex-father-in-law was kidnapped and replaced with an imposter." Rafe explained. "He turned out to be a good guy, and my ex-mother-in-law fell in love with him. Then about twenty years later, I was married to their daughter, and I was kidnapped and replaced with an imposter as well. And now her son was kidnapped and replaced with an imposter as well. And a couple years back, my ex-girlfriend's ex-husband was also replaced with an imposter."

"Wow. That's a lot of imposters." Ashley commented. "I only know the DiMeras by reputation. They seem like ruthless villains."

"They are. Count yourself lucky you haven't met any of them." Rafe said. "Will is lucky he was found so quickly. Where was your brother going, anyway? If you don't mind my asking."

Ashley scoffed and shook her head. "He was taking a drive to clear his head. He just found out his boyfriend has been having an affair behind his back, which lasted a year."

Rafe nodded. "Well, in a strange way, that was actually a good thing."

"Yeah." Ash said.

XX

"I really thought Andre had changed for the better." Kate said to Lucas. "How could I not see through him?"

"Don't beat yourself up. I didn't see through him, either." Lucas sighed. "I'm trying to think...he was found two years ago, and before that, he's been held since shortly after going to LA with Sami and the kids. Why did Stefano have him kidnapped?"

Kate shrugged, then her eyes widened in realization. "That True Vista article about Sami's and my takeover of DiMera Enterprises. God! I thought Stefano just let it go. He was way too quiet about that."

Lucas exhaled sharply. "Well, guess we'll find out soon enough."

XXX

"So, William is finally starting to wake up." Andre talked on his phone as he paced the living room.

"Yes. And his family is heading out here as we speak."

"I see. Well, that was to be expected." Andre sighed.

"What would you like me to do?"

"Nothing yet." Andre said. "Wait and see what William remembers, then we'll go from there."

"All right. I'll keep you posted."

"Thank you. Good bye, now." Andre hung up. He sighed as he remembered how he got into this mess.

 _October, 2014_

 _"You know, it's not often that one loses one son and gains another."_

 _Stefano and Andre sat at a cafe in Italy._

 _"I assume you have plans for me." Andre said._

 _"You assume correct. You're familiar with that scathing article that Samantha's son William wrote a couple months back, yes?" Stefano asked._

 _Andre nodded. "I always knew Samantha had a way of making people hate her, but I never thought her own son would hate her this much."_

 _"Yes...so much that he didn't foresee the consequences of spilling such a scandal about our company." Stefano said. "He has made a grave mistake."_

 _"What would you like me to do?" Andre asked._

 _"We must teach dear William a valuable lesson." Stefano said. "He helped ruin our company, now we are going to ruin his life." He chuckled evilly._


End file.
